Super Ultra Light / Super Ultra Cheap
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Super Ultra Light / Super Ultra Cheap
I have been quietly working on this idea for a few months. You can go back and check one of my threads about the new external frame I was working on where I mentioned a material I had discovered that worked well for Pack Bags. This material was used for bags to hold something and the bag was made to be thrown away after being used. I started thinking about other materials that might be recycled into SUL gear.
SUL as definded here was very easy for me to achieve using the new materials such as Cuben Fiber and a few others. There is however, a cost factor and I started looking for other material that were free or cheap.
This really came to light a few days ago when someone here had a light weight Down Quilt made and the cost was posted was $450. I have been making most all my gear now for several years and I guess I lost track of what things are selling for.
Is it really necessary to spend that kind of money to have SUL gear?
Can we find enough really cheap or almost free (as in recycled) material to build a decent set of Super Ultra Light (SUL) gear?
I think so but most of this will require sewing your own gear. Sewing is not as hard as you might think. Start small and work toward the more complicated things. Things in you live may get so bad over the next few years that you might be very glad you know how to sew.
The complete gear list has to be under the 5 pound weight limit as defined by BackpackingLight.com as SUL and survive a continuous hike of at least a 165 miles on a trail system such as the Appalachian Trail. The material used for this gear needs to be readily available so as many folks that want to us it can get it.
I think the total – weight / cost – will be a good surprise to many.
1 – Backpack:
I have been playing with one type of material that turns out to be good for packs. I have even used this material for shoulder straps and hip belts.
You can see the first pack bag I made out of this material in this picture.
The material weighs 3.4 ounces a square yard but the total weigh for a decent size pack should be well under one pound. The material is very strong and easy to sew.
The real $$ cost of this pack (the material is from something meant to be thrown away) might be $5.00. I will post more about this material as this project moves forward.
2 – Bivy:
Bottom Material:
Gossamer Gear (GG) sells a "Polycryo Ground Cloth.
I bought one of their (2) packs several years ago. At the time I thought this stuff might be good for other things but since I was using a lot of Cuben Fiber I never made anything with it. When I first got mine I weighed it to see what the square yard weight was. It is 0.568 ounces per sq yard.
The ground cloths cost (2) for $8.00. Now that I am looking for cheaper alternative materials I am re-looking at what I might be able to make with this material.
I have made several Bivys using Cuben Fiber as the bottom and Pertex Quantum as the top. I will try a Bivy using one of these Polycryo Ground Cloths for the Bivy Bottom.
From GG about the Polycryo Ground Cloths:
"The Polycryo ground sheet is constructed from industrial grade cross-linked polyolefin. This material is extremely tough for it's weight, with amazing puncture resistance. It has a tensile strength of 15,400 p.s.i. (1,083 kg./sq. cm.) per ASTM D-883. It is waterproof, but very slightly breathable (1.09 gms of water vapor/100 sq.in./24 hours). At 0.55 oz./sq.yd. (16 g.), it's HALF THE WEIGHT of our Spinnsheetâ„¢ ground cloths. You will have to replace this more often than tougher alternatives, but it's very economical. These single ground cloths are shipped as a 2-pack so you have an extra. Our medium size is 40" (102 cm.) wide.'
Top Material:
Frogg Toggs make a poncho out of a very nice material that is said to be 100% waterproof and breathable. It would seem that this material would make a good top material for the Bivy. I need to find out the size of this item but just in looking at it I am sure it is big enough.
I believe that Frogg Toggs is made from something like 3M Propore. I have a sample of the 3M Propore and it weighs 2.37 ounces a squard yard.
A Bivy made from the GG ground Cloth and the material from a Frogg Toggs Poncho should weigh about 6 ounces.
Cost: I have found the Frogg Toggs Poncho listed on two different web sites. It is selling for $11.50 at one place and seems to be on close out at $8.95 on another web site. I will call both on Monday and confirm prices. Using what seems to be the MSRP of $11.50 for the Poncho and $4.00 for one GG Ground Cloth, the total Bivy cost would be a bit under $16 plus shipping, tax etc.
3 – Shelter – Tarp
My first thought is to make a tarp out of 3 GG Ground Cloths sewn, glued or taped together.
The Tarp would be about 10" by 12' and the tarp material weight would a little less than 2 ounces. Add in some weight for the tie out line ( 1.42 oz) 6 stakes made out of – you pick it ( 1.23 oz) and a few secret things and you have a big tarp that weighs under 5 ounces.
This is all about MYOG but a long spoon from some ice cream place works as it should be free.
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Super Ultra Light / Super Ultra Cheap PT 1 – Making the Bivy:
The first picture shows the GG Ground Cloth laying on my pattern. The size of the Ground Cloth is almost the same size as my pattern. I am leaving a 1" seam allowance. This will allow me to turn it under to reinforce the seam.
1. GG Ground Cloth on the Pattern.
2. The GG Ground Cloth is cut and weighs 41 grams or 1.44 ounces. Cost for one of 2 GG Ground Cloths = $4.00 plus shipping.
3. The Propore on the Pattern ready to mark.
4. The Propore cut and ready to sew. The weight of the Propore Bivy Top is 4.7 ounces. Cost as a new Frogg Toggs Poncho = $11.50 plus shipping. I have 2 Frogg Toggs Ponchos on order and when I get them I will make another Bivy out of one of them.
5. Ready to start sewing.
Estimated cost for the materials only for the completed Bivy = $17.00 (+/-) a bit.
Estimated weight of the completed Bivy = 6 ounces (+/-) a bitSewing to follow.
NOTICE!!!!!!!!!
I had a lot of problems finding a way to sew the Polycryo material.
I would suggest anyone that wants to sew with this material that you do many tests and stress the seams a bit till you are happy with the sewing method.
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The Bivy weighs 6.1 ounces. I will make a small hood out of Propore and attach the hood sometime over the next day or so.
A "Waterproof / Breathable Bivy" like this can be made for about $17.00.
If you have an idea you would like to share leave a me comment.
(great thread)
I've been keeping my eye out for sources along these lines for a while now.
One idea for a pack is to use one of these poly recyclable grocery bags that most stores are selling now as a base. Even REI has one for $1 —->
(rei shopping bag example link)
Tyvek leftovers are often available for free at construction sites (of course there are far fewer of these now), or on craigslist.
I also really like the idea of using wood/cane/bamboo for poles, frame components, utensils, etc. and intend on pursuing this more once I am done building our house.
It would be interesting to see some hypothetical SUL/SUC gear lists with dollar totals and sources.
Instant Bivy:
I received the two Frogg Toggs Ponchos this evening from Sierra Trading Post. Three and a half days after I ordered them. Quick shipping.
The Poncho is 52" wide by 87" long. The Poncho has three snaps on each side to close the Poncho when you are wearing it. The Poncho weighs 238 grams / 8.4 ounces.
The first thing I wanted to try was snapping both Ponchos together to make an "Instant Bivy".
I got in between the two snapped together Ponchos. My room was 76 degrees "F" and I think I started to get warm in the "Instant Bivy".
The cost for a Bivy like this would be $24.00 for the two Ponchos.
The weight for two Ponchos used as a Bivy would be about 16.8 ounces. This would figure out to $1.45 per ounce.I think a Bivy made from two Frogg Toggs Ponchos would make a good multi use piece of gear. A Poncho when needed and your Bivy at night.
The Frogg Toggs DriDucks material maybe as good or better than eVent and it sure cost a lot less.
1. Both Frogg Toggs Ponchos snapped together.
2. Frogg Toggs Poncho open halfway.
Just thought I'd wake up this topic a bit.
'tis the season to check out my inventory of handwear and it's more than well worn! So it's off to my favorite glove source (the grocery store):
These are fuzzy knit acrylic. Maybe not as warm as possum down but still very effective for 25F-35F @1.5oz and $2.99:
Not exactly PowerStretch although the exterior looks/feels kinda similar, interior kinda fleece like. Should work well when active down into the mid 20's (F again) … I'll test that on trail the next three days. 1.2oz and $4.99:
Fleece gloves for the downtime when in camp. A whopping 2.0oz and the price has ballooned up to $5.99 but cold hands make time pass SO slowly:
Now the wind will slice through all those almost like they aren't there … unless I cover them with MYOG wind shell mitts. These'll also be along on this weekend's hike. They are a prototype made with "beefy" 1.9oz ripstop. 0.9oz and cost almost nothing once you have the things needed to play the MYOG game. I'll likely replace these with mitts made using a pattern from Quest Outfitters:
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